Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Welcome friends, neighbors, and strangers

So I finally did it, something I have talked and thought about for quite some time. That is, starting this blog. Plain and simple, I love food. Everything about it, from cooking, learning about it, being obsessed with Food Network, and most importantly EATING! I am far from an expert but I still chose to share my culinary and dining adventures with you. So why listen to me? That is entirely up to you. Maybe your new to Cleveland and need advice on where to eat. Maybe you need some form of entertainment to lighten up your day and you stumbled across this blog. Maybe you are a dear friend of mine and are reading out of love and support. Or maybe, much like me, you are just hungry in Cleveland (or whatever city you call home).

You may be wondering "Why Cleveland?" and I am here to answer that. Aside from being born and raised here, Cleveland has recently been emerging onto the foodie scene over the past few years. Many of our historic neighborhoods such as Tremont and Little Italy offer numerous options to satisfy anyone's pallet. Aside from being the home of rock and roll, the Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers, Cleveland is home of Iron Chef Michael Symon, The West Side Market, Melt Bar and Grilled (recently featured on both Food Network and Travel Channel), and the Great Lakes Brewery. We made the pierogi popular, ethnic food enticing, and show nothing but love for local favorites. So move over New York, Los Angeles, and San Fancisco, Cleveland is making a mark on the culinary map.

As mentioned earlier, I am not an expert and this blog focuses on my experiences and opinions. You may agree and you may not. Feel free to offer comments and suggestions, however I ask one thing, PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL. This blog is meant to be fun and lighthearted. Anything with food should be fun and enjoyable. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you and hope they inspire you in some way.

And now a look at things to come. Since it is September 1, today begins my annual quest for "All things Pumpkin". Fall is slowly becoming my favorite season and nothing says "autumn" to me better than pumpkin. Ok, football is right up there too (GO BROWNS!). I already was tipped off on Facebook that Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in season at Starbucks. I do plan on consuming many of those and comparing various Pumpkin Lattes from both national and local coffee shops. I was also beyond excited to read my monthly "Big Cheese Club" e-mail from Melt Bar and Grilled to see that their September beer feature is Southern Tier Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale (more on why pumpkin beer and Melt hold a very special place in my heart in a future blog). Winking Lizard's "Glass of the Month" is Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Look for another future blog all about pumpkin beers. So with that being said...I hopefully am leaving you hungry for more.